Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Kansas City, Des Moines, and other cities across a broad swath of the Great Plains are currently reviewing their animal ordinances. Many of the reviews began when local pit bull advocates called upon their respective cities to revoke long-standing Breed Specific Legislation (BSL).

In the days leading up to the recent, critical Council vote in Kansas City two major articles about BSL appeared in quick succession. The first appeared in the Kansas City Star and the following week the second appeared in USA today

Both articles suggest that BSL is being discarded across the country. The coordination of the 2014 campaign to revoke BSL, and these two articles in particular, demonstrate the influence on major media by the advocates of fighting breeds. It's unlikely that either of these two articles would have been written without advocacy outreach.1

The coordinated campaign to repeal BSL has failed in many (perhaps most) of the cities. Although some communities have complied with the demands of fighting breed advocates, at least 23 cities have recently enacted, upheld, strengthened, or defended their BSL.

The recent defeat of the repeal effort in Aurora, Colorado, demonstrated once again that over 2/3 of the people do not want to live next door to a pit bull. The crucial December 4th Kansas City (UG) Council vote to retain their long-standing BSL serves as a beacon for those cities still resisting intense pressure from the advocates of fighting breeds. There will continue to be calls for repeal, but the recent votes will help put the repeal movement behind us.

Twenty-three Cities:
A PARTIAL list of cities that have recently enacted, upheld, strengthened, or defended their BSL:

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

These claims are as common as air; they're made so often that few of us question if they're actually true.

But who is it that makes these claims? And are they true?

* * * * *

Last month Mike Hendricks of the Kansas City Star published an article which claimed that

research . . . shows little correlation between fatal dog bites and the breeds of the dogs inflicting those wounds, . . .1

Mr Hendricks fails to cite the source of the research, but he may have been referring to any of the numerous "studies" authored and published by pit bull advocacy groups. Independent reports, which Mr Hendricks neglects to mention, leave little doubt of the correlation between pit bulls and fatal or disfiguring attacks.

Mr Hendricks' acceptance and publication of this misinformation follows a now common pattern. Advocates of fighting breeds have repeated these unsupported assertions so often that many journalists accept them without fact-checking.

The Toronto Star recently reported pit bull attacks have virtually disappeared in the decade since BSL was enacted.2 Similarly, Sioux City records show that police officers responded to 37% fewer dog attacks in 2013 than they did in 2007, the year that Sioux City enacted their breed ban. Similar results have been reported in Antigo, Pawtucket, and every other city where good BSL legislation is enacted and enforced.

It is pit bull advocates, not the cities who pay the bills, who claim that BSL is expensive. The advocacy claims are supported by data from the BSL Fiscal Impact Cost Calculator, an advocacy tool developed under a contract from Best Friends Animal Society.3 The tool purports to show that BSL is expensive, but it does not reflect the huge costs incurred by cities that choose breed-neutral laws, rather than BSL. Cities with breed-neutral laws are notoriously plagued by huge numbers of surplus pit bulls, many of them bred by back-yard breeders, which the city must pay to warehouse in animal shelters. BSL, on the other hand, reduces the number of pit bulls in shelters. BSL also reduces the number of euthanizations, which is also a cost for the city, as well as a humane tragedy.

In addition, the advocacy cost calculator fails to address the costs of dozens or hundreds of life-flight evacuations each year, which range in cost from $15k to $50k. The cost calculator does not account for the costs incurred by victims of pit bull attacks, many of whom are left with lasting physical and emotional scars, and overwhelming financial burdens. The cost calculator ignores entirely the costs borne by thousands of victims and their families.

* * * * *

So, who is it that makes the claim that BSL is ineffective, expensive, and impossible to enforce? And who is it that calls for the revocation of BSL? Choose from among the following three options:

A: Victims of pit bull attacks
B: Municipalities that currently have successful BSL
C: Advocates for pit bulls and other fighting breeds

The answer is C, of course: it is the advocates who are the source of calls to revoke BSL.

The question we must ask ourselves is: Why would the advocates of fighting breeds be allowed to determine how we legislate fighting breeds?

Allowing the advocates of fighting breeds to write the rules regulating fighting breeds appears to make sense, until you think about it.

Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" should be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.Recent Editorials from California, Colorado, Canada, & elsewhere in support of Breed Specific Legislation:

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF

Monday, November 24, 2014

Commissioner Jane Philbrook thinks there's a better way to protect people from dangerous dogs; instead of focusing on a specific breed, focus on homeowners whose dogs have a history of aggression.

It makes them more responsible, My heart goes out to [the victims]. But, the whole idea of this change is to get all the vicious dogs off the street.
-- Commissioner Philbrook (KSHB41; Nov. 18, 2014)

* * * * *

This has been tried before.

On July 30, 1987 Ohio enacted state-wide Breed Specific Legislation (BSL). Pit bulls, legislators argued, are the most likely breed to attack without provocation. The BSL defined pit bulls as inherently vicious and required owners to buy insurance. As a result of the legislation shelters no longer adopted out pit bulls in Ohio.

In 2012 a group of determined Toledo-area pit bull advocates prevailed upon the legislature to revoke the BSL. The number of attacks by pit bulls soared in 2013 and 2014, and legislators are once again discussing how to reign in pit bull attacks. For many the attack that came to symbolize 2014 was the attack on Zainabou Drame in Cincinnati. The officers who responded were interviewed this week:

Officer Kyle Strunk said he'll never forget the image of that as they pulled up, seeing grown men and women vomiting on the street, reacting to what they had just witnessed."That's not a sight you see very often, you know, adults can't even look. They had to look away based on the violence of it,” Strunk said."When you see a child being slung in the air by two animals, it almost doesn't look real when you see it in person," Strunk said. "You couldn't believe it. When you pull up, you expect kind of maybe to see the dogs running away. But they were continuing to attack her, like she was a toy. That's how bad it looked. How effortless it was for the dogs to move her around. That is something, like I said, that I'll never forget.1

Six-year old Zainabou was in an induced coma for weeks, but survived. No charges have been brought against the owner of the pit bulls that mauled her. He is protected by the revised, breed-neutral dog ordinance.

Zainabou is among the fortunate. There have been at least 29 fatal pit bull attacks already in 2014 -- there is a human being killed by a pit bull every twelve days. But even that detail doesn't reveal how many people, like Zainabou, have been attacked and survive with life-altering injuries.

The number of people who have been maimed by pit bulls has quadrupled in the last five years, from less than a hundred in 2009 to 422 in 2013. In 2014 we were already approaching the 2013 record by the end of October.

* * * * *

In 2012 Ohio pit bull advocates argued, like Commissioner Philbrook, that the new breed-neutral laws would make Ohio safer. Like Commissioner Philbrook they claimed the new legislation targeted vicious dogs before they attacked.

It's not really just about 'pit bulls,' it's about improving safety in our community from all dangerous dogs.2

We feel that this is not only more fair to the dogs, but also makes our state safer since the new law gives dog wardens tools to go after dangerous dogs of all breeds.3

It didn't work out that way. Ohio has had over thirty pit bull attacks this year that we know of, and at least three fatal pit bull attacks. This July, after a wave of devastating attacks, an unrepentant Ms Keating continued to insist that the revocation of Ohio's BSL is working:

[The new law] is much more proactive. It identifies dangerous dogs before they hurt people. That's where our focus needs to be: identifying these dogs long before these incidents occur.4

There is a remedy for people who continue to insist that breed-neutral laws reduce attacks: they must be unfortunate enough to witness a pit bull attack.

We offer an easier remedy. We guarantee that within ten days our remedy will change their lives, or yours. It takes only minutes a day. Here's our special offer:

The link above is a shortcut to the Google news search for current pit bull attacks -- today's and the last few days. The news isn't perfect -- many attacks are suppressed or go unreported. But anyone who clicks on the link (or types it into their url address bar) and looks at the news for just a few minutes a day will never again consider revoking BSL.

This exercise will also be useful for legislators who are charged with insuring the public safety of their citizens and their communities. Some people might consider it a civic duty to use this research tool; others, like Ms Keating, may continue to avert their eyes.

Next:
Pit bull advocates claim that Breed Specific Legislation is expensive, it is ineffective, and it is difficult to enforce. Are these claims true?

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Two recent news stories have bolstered the claims that Breed Specific Legislation is disappearing. These stories have been widely circulated in the pit bull blogosphere and have raised the hopes of advocates in the run-up to a critical meeting in Kansas City.

The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City will meet on December 4th to decide whether to reverse their decades old ban. The proposed animal control ordinance sailed through the Public Works & Safety committee on Nov 17.

The two articles which claim bans are disappearing appeared in quick succession, and there are likely more to come. The tri-state area has a powerful advocacy movement and it seems implausible that the articles could have been written without outreach from pit bull advocates.

Among the advocates mentioned in the articles are Bernie Toellner and Katie Bray Barnett. In 2010 Ms Barnett worked to revoke the ban in her home town of Topeka. And, no surprise, she also assisted in writing the new animal ordinance. Within two years, about the time it takes for an un-neutered male pit bull to fully mature, two year old Samantha Mae Edwards was killed in a Topeka suburb by a pit bull adopted under Ms Barnett's new regulations.

Samantha Mae Edwards, d. December 13, 2012

Commissioner Jane Winkler Philbrook proposed the new legislation, and it's fair to say that advocacy outreach is also behind her proposal. Ms Bray, Mr Toellner, and Melanie Coy would like nothing more than to convince us that BSL is a thing of the past. The authors of the "BSL is disappearing" stories adhered to advocacy talking points; had they looked further they would have found a long list of cities that recently defied the advocates and retained their BSL (see below).

The advocates know that their best chance of revoking BSL is to gain access to legislators; it may be their only chance. After years of complaints and protests by pit bull advocates the Aurora city council put the matter to a vote.

Advocates for pet, livestock, and human safety in Aurora, Colorado claimed a resounding win with the November 4, 2014 defeat of a well-funded attempt to repeal the nine-year-old Aurora pit bull bylaw.1

It was a crushing defeat for the advocacy movement; by an overwhelming 2-1 majority Aurora citizens said they do not want to live next door to a pit bull. The same is true of the citizens in the Heart of America.

KALB News Channel 5; Moreauville, LAOn October 13, the village passed an ordinance that states if you own a pit bull or a Rottweiler, you must get rid of it by December 1 or they will take it for "disposition."

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF

Monday, November 17, 2014

When the novelist Douglas Anthony Cooper decided to self-publish his next book he chose a novel funding process: Crowdfunding.1 He began a campaign on Kickstarter.com and set an initial goal of $27,500. When the campaign expired a month later Cooper had raised an astonishing $62,000.

Mr. Cooper's funding campaign enjoyed unusual advantages. First, his book is about a pit bull named Galunker and will be marketed to children -- in reality to the children of pit bull advocates. In other words, Mr Cooper has an assured market. In addition Mr Cooper was given the freedom to run a priceless (but cost-free) week-long self-promotion campaign in the Huffington Post. He used his columns to relentlessly advertise his book and to drive readers to his Kickstarter fundraiser page.

There had been other pit bull crowdfunding campaigns before Mr Cooper's, the majority of which solicited funds for pit bull rescues and even for individual pit bulls. Dozens of these campaigns are readily accessible by going to gofundme.com and searching for pit bulls.

At the other end of the spectrum are the appeals to help cover the costs of veterinary care for companion animals attacked by pit bulls; some of these bills run to five figures and must be paid even if the victim subsequently dies of wounds inflicted by the attacking pit bull. Even more heartbreaking are the campaigns for human victims of pit bull attacks. Medical care for these victims can easily run to six figures.

And finally, there are crowdfunding appeals to help defray funeral expenses for those who have been killed by fatal pit bull attacks.

Few of the campaigns for victims of pit bull attacks meet their goal. Some campaigns drag on for months and never achieve more than a fraction of the amount requested. There is one notable exception. Megan Touchet was watching television with her five-year old daughter Mia DeRouen when they were attacked by the family's 130-lb pit bull. The dog belonged to Ms Touchet's boyfriend, Kerry Dominique, who was suspected of giving the dog steroids and perhaps of dogfighting. The police were unable to conclude an investigation into Mia's death because Ms Touchet and Mr Dominique, on the advice of their attorney, have refused to talk with investigators.

The crowdfunding appeal to cover Mia's funeral expenses was launched by David Thibodeaux on the day of her death and raised $18,000 in the first four hours. The total pledged has climbed to over $32,700 and the appeal remains open after seven months. When a pit bull advocate resorts to crowdfunding, their goal is often met by generous advocates of fighting breeds, who will turn their pockets inside out to support a fellow advocate.

Crowdfunding for victims of pit bull attacks hit critical mass on November 13, 2014, when four appeals hit the news on the same day. Those appeals are listed below, along with a few other notable crowdfunding appeals for victims of pit bull attacks.2

* * * * *

Nov 13, 2014 -- The Day of 4 Crowdfunding Appeals:

A routine lunchtime, then tragedy strikes
Springfield News-Leader; Springfield, MO, November 13, 2014Mia suffered gruesome injuries from the mauling and had surgery on Sunday in Columbia. She awoke from a medically induced coma on Wednesday but is still in the intensive care unit at the University of Missouri Women's and Children's Hospital recovering from injuries to her face and neck area.Help Princess Mia on gofundme.com
($4,395 pledged of $30,000)

Shih tzu mauled by pit bull on North End
New Bedford, MA; Southcoast Today; November 13, 2014Sydney Brum's shih tzu Misha ran up $8,000 in vet bills after a pit bull attack in New Bedford's North End on Halloween. The Brum family is crowdsourcing to defray expenses . . . . Truth be told, the crowdfunding is going fairly slowly, with a one-week total of $334.Misha's Veterinary Fund on gofundme.com
($1,229 pledged of $8,000 goal)

The dog was shot three times by officers, who then attempted to enter the apartment . . . when officers tried to get inside, the dog charged them and was shot an additional 10 times before he died. Chief Todd Duplantis described the scene as 'horrific' and said counseling was being offered to the officers who were on the scene.

Definitions:
SRUV uses the definition of "pit bull" as found in the Omaha Municipal Code Section 6-163. As pit bulls are increasingly crossed with exotic mastiffs, Catahoula Leopard Dogs and other breeds, the vernacular definition of "pit bull" should be made even more inclusive.

Sources cited by news media sometimes refer to "Animal Advocates" or sometimes "Experts." In many cases these words are used to refer to single-purpose pit bull advocates who have never advocated for any other breeds or species of animals. Media would be more accurate to refer to these pit bull advocates as advocates of fighting breeds.

Similarly, in many cases pit bull advocates refer to themselves as "dog lovers" or "canine advocates" and media often accepts this usage. The majority of these pit bull advocates are single-purpose advocates of fighting breeds.

Statistics:
Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF

This year's ArtPrize included 1,536 entries representing 51 countries and 42 U.S. states and territories. The entries were exhibited in 174 venues over three square miles. ArtPrize seeks to broaden the critical dialogue around contemporary art by awarding the world’s largest art prize, at $540,000. For 19 days news in Grand Rapids and much of Michigan was dominated by the ArtPrize competition.

But other news also came out of Michigan during this period. One of the entries, a three-dimensional installation titled Out of the Blue by Joan Marie Kowal, is a dramatic memorial to victims of fatal pit bull attacks. ArtPrize opened on September 24 and on Sunday, September 28, local pit bull advocates gathered at the installation, protesting the memorial and temporarily blocking public access to the installation.1

Then, four days after the the protest, Michiganders awoke to the news of the attack by 12 pit bulls on Steve Constantine in Detroit. The first reports indicated that Constantine suffered four amputations. Constantine watched as the dogs, in his own words, ate him alive.

Steven Constantine

* * * * *

Among the pit bull advocates at the September 28 protest was Rachel Jensen, a Kent County Animal Control Officer. On October 3rd, the same day that news of the attack on Constantine stunned Michiganders, Kent County spokeswoman Lisa LaPlante released a prepared statement claiming that Jensen had not violated employee policy by protesting at the memorial for victims of pit bull attacks.

All Americans are sensitive to our First Amendment rights protecting protests in public spaces. But some protests are so repugnant, for example the protests by the Westboro Baptist Church at the funerals of fallen soldiers, that the public is unwilling to tolerate them. The protest by pit bull advocates at a memorial to victims of pit bulls bears striking similarity to the Westboro Church protests. Decency and common sense demand that solemn events, including Ms Kowal's Out of the Blue, must be protected. Artists often challenge us, as Ms Kowal has done and other ArtPrize artists have. Those who sponsor, promote, and love art are obligated to protect and defend the art they exhibit.

On October 7th a commentary by the Canadian journalist Barbara Kay was published on the nation's premier independent animal welfare web site.2 Accounts of the attack on Constantine appeared daily in Michigan papers until ArtPrize closed. The coverage continues and has linked Michigan pit bulls, Out of the Blue, the protest at the victims' memorial, and ArtPrize in an inseparable ménage à quatre. Kowal's Out of the Blue has received more national coverage than any other ArtPrize entry, including the winners. It has received more coverage, perhaps, than all other entries combined.

* * * * *

Art has proven to be an excellent medium for developing social consciousness. In the 1980s the AIDS quilt galvanized the nascent AIDS movement and led to national awareness of the epidemic. Today, the lifesize red silhouettes of the Silent Witness National Initiative has dramatically increased awareness across the country for victims of domestic violence. Ms Kowal's Blue Crosses could form the basis of a similar public awareness campaign. ArtPrize is uniquely positioned to sponsor this movement.

The United Kennel Club was organized in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1898 solely to register pit bulls and thereby legitimize dogfighting. Today Michigan is witnessing the deadly and unforeseen aftermath of the UKC's folly. In recent years a human being has been killed by a pit bull every two weeks; Ms Kowal's Out of the Blue graphically directs our attentionto these senseless deaths. It would be fitting if a national movement to recognize the victims of pit bull attacks were to begin in Michigan under the auspices of ArtPrize.

Notes:1 A Facebook page (ART PRIZE: Don’t bully my bully) rallied the protesters. The page (now taken down) appeared at the following url: https://www.facebook.com/groups/766488323431048/?ref=br_tf2Animals 24-7. The article was subsequently reprinted by SRUV.

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF

Sunday, October 19, 2014

In January of 2012 Courtney Ebert-Hein of Longmont, Colorado adopted a pit bull named Chocolate from the Longmont Humane Society (LHS). Later that spring Alda Crill left her home in northwest Longmont with her two Yorkshire Terriers, Belagrin and Zoar, on a dual leash. Chocolate escaped from her nearby yard and within seconds Bela's chest was torn open and one leg was ripped almost off, according to police reports. A neighbor tried CPR on Bela, but she died shortly after arriving at Longs Peak Animal Hospital.

Belagrin; d. April 26, 2012

* * * * *

In Mesa County, Colorado, on October 2012, a leashed pit bull named Bridgette charged two kenneled dogs. When Bridgette's handler attempted to control her she turned and attacked the handler.

In March 2013 Bridgette's subsequent owner was walking with Bridgette when they encountered another leashed dog. Bridgette reportedly bit through her own leash to attack and injure the miniature schnauzer.

Mesa County officials ruled that Bridgette was a dangerous dog and required her owners to surrender her. Bridgette's owners chose to surrender her to the LHS in Boulder County, a five to seven hour drive from Mesa County.

Two months later, in May of 2013, Bridgette was involved in a fight with another dog at the LHS shelter. Despite Bridgette's record of attacks Longmont officials decided she was improving and made plans to release her.

Bridgette moved to her new foster home on June 13. Four days later she escaped from her yard and attacked a neighbor and his Weimeraner while they were out walking. As a result of the attack Liz Smokowski, the director of the Longmont Humane Society, pleaded guilty on behalf of the society to misdemeanor possession of a dangerous dog.

As part of an unusual settlement a Boulder County judge ordered LHS officials to complete a restorative justice program and gave the organization a 12-month deferred sentence. If the LHS did not violate any laws during the 12-month period the conviction would be dismissed. Ms Smokowski accepted the sentence on December 13, 2013.

Liz Smokowski

* * * * *

In August of 2012 Erica Montoya adopted a pit bull from the Longmont Humane Society. LHS officials informed Montoya that a previous owner had returned Baby Girl after keeping her only a month, and that Baby Girl "wasn't always good with other dogs."

In June 2014, Ms Montoya moved from Longmont to Westminister, Colorado and left Baby Girl with friends, after which the dog went missing.

On September 24 a Portland, Oregon police officer working on bicycle patrol stopped a 16-year old girl with a pit bull. The teenage girl was in the company of a 47-year-old homeless man, Leroy Parsons. The girl and Parsons told the officer that the pit bull they called Purrdy was theirs.

Later that evening the (still unidentified) teenager boarded a streetcar, where her pit bull attacked and killed a 13-year old Pomeranian named Lady. The microchipped pit bull was traced to Longmont and identified as Baby Girl.

Lady; d. September 24, 2014

The death of Lady on a Portland streetcar may have significant legal ramifications for LHS. The society quickly went on the offensive, and less than a week after the attack aired a story about finding forever homes for stray dogs. The feel-good TV spot, however, bears an unfortunate mixed message: the dogs are strays imported from the streets of Houston, which may not be a message Longmont citizens want to hear.

LHS also began importing dogs from Mexico as early as 2010. By 2012 nearly 16 percent of reported dog bites in Longmont were traced to dogs adopted out of LHS.

Baby Girl's (who gave her that name?) earlier owner, Ms Montoya, has since relinquished her rights to the dog. Ms Montoya's mother, Michelle Orozco, who by happenstance lives in Southeast Portland, said she only learned a week after the September 24th attack that her daughter's missing dog was in Portland, and was responsible for the fatal streetcar attack.

Ms Orozco said she is reluctant to assume responsibility for Baby Girl because her own pit bull isn't compatible with other dogs. Ms Orozco has contacted pit bull rescue groups in Oregon and Georgia to see if they could take the dog.

Sarah Clusman, LHS Director of Operations, reportedly informed Oregon officials her agency could assist in getting the dog back to Colorado, if necessary. But Ms Smokowski, perhaps more wary of the clock ticking on the one-year deferred sentence, rapidly stepped back from the offer:

I don't know any details of the situation. . . We haven't heard from anyone. . . We do not have anyone available for something in that type of situation, said Smokowski when asked about Baby Girl's possible return to Longmont.

Multnomah Animal Services Director Mike Oswald said Baby Girl will remain at the agency's shelter in Troutdale, where her behavior will be evaluated. Officials will then decide whether the dog, which now has an interstate rap sheet of attacks including the final, fatal attack on Lady, can be adopted or placed with a pit bull rescue group.

Meanwhile, the courts in Boulder County must decide how the fatal attack by Baby Girl will affect LHS's deferred sentence.

Afterward

There were three dogs riding on the Portland streetcar, and it was a peaceable kingdom until the fourth, a pit bull, was brought aboard. As a result of the fatal attack all Portland dogs, including 13-year old Pomeranians, must now be carried "in a secure container" when riding the streetcar, or the rider is subject to a citation.

Similar rules regulating dogs in public spaces such as parks and public transit are being enforced across the country. These rules, intended to protect the public from fighting breeds, cause undue hardship on all dogs and their human companions. If legislators had the political fortitude to restrict pit bulls and close pit bull mixes, all other dogs and their human companions would continue to ride transit and enjoy public spaces in peace.

* * * * *

Britta Bavaresco, co-founder of Portland's Animal Shelter Alliance, said officials may never be able to determine what the dog went through during the three months since it was reported missing in Colorado.

I'm not making excuses for the dog . . . . But the pit bull may have been fighting for her life, it could have been confused or stressed.

Hopefully Ms Bavaresco (or others who reflexively find excuses for pit bull attacks) will not be among those who evaluate Baby Girl's suitability for rehoming.

Dan Dassing said he had the door cracked open, and the pit bull lunged through the door when he heard the Chihuahua bark, even though the pit bull's owner had him on a retractable leash. "The pit bull just reached right inside the door and grabbed our Chihuahua and just lock-jawed onto it," Dassing said.

Statistics quoted on SRUV are from the nation's authoritative source for current dog attack statistics, the 30+ year, continuously updated Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada.View or download the current PDF